Americans' personal savings rate is near an all-time low - an economist explains what it means as a potential recession looms
The rate at which Americans are saving money has dipped close to an all-time low, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The personal savings rate was 2.3% as of October, down from 7.3% a year earlier. It’s the lowest since July 2005, when the rate hit a record low of 2.1%. We asked Arabinda Basistha, an economist at West Virginia University, to explain the personal savings rate, what’s driving it so low and what it means as a potential recession looms in 2023. Continued here |
The 6 most anticipated Nintendo Switch games coming in 2023
Nintendo had a huge year in 2022, even with some of its most anticipated games getting delayed into 2023 or later. The coming year looks just as bright, with major franchise entries and some surprising new releases. Continued here |
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World Cup: Fifa needs Qatar 2022 to leave a legacy of progress against corruption
The men’s 2022 Fifa World Cup has ended, with Argentina crowned champions. But at this tournament in particular, there has been much to distract from the actual football being played. From start to finish, Qatar 2022 has been controversial. Naming the small state as host back in 2010 led to widespread criticism of Fifa. Since then, allegations of corruption in the awarding process have been investigated by the media, legal systems, and Fifa’s own ethics committee. A number of Fifa officials have been convicted of corruption charges or banned from football for ethics breaches. Continued here |
NZ report card 2022: some foreign bragging rights but room for improvement at home
It’s that time of year when school and university students eagerly (or nervously) await their end-of-year results – but also an opportunity to see where the country in general might have passed or failed. Although international and domestic indices and rankings should be read with a degree of caution – measurements and metrics only tell us so much, after all – it’s still possible to trace the nation’s ups and downs relative to past years. Continued here |
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How Terry Hall defined the sound of youth and disillusionment in Margaret Thatcher's Britain
Terry Hall, who has died after a short illness at 63, was the voice of The Specials, an iconic band that bridged the youth sub-cultures and mainstream pop of the late 1970s and early 1980s, embodying the sound of disaffection in Thatcherite Britain. Born and raised in Coventry, Hall brought a distinctive stance, and sound, to British pop. As frontman of The Specials and then Fun Boy Three, his simultaneously deadpan yet melodic vocals, flecked with his native Midlands accent, belied the eclecticism that underpinned his music. Continued here |
COP15's Global Biodiversity Framework must advance Indigenous-led conservation to halt biodiversity loss by 2030
In the early hours of Dec. 19 — the last day of the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) conference in Montréal — the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) adopted their new post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. The goals and targets agreed within this framework, including the widely discussed Target 3, will guide conservation policy and investment for years to come. Target 3 — also known as the “30x30” target — calls for the conservation of 30 per cent of global land and sea areas by 2030. Continued here |
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This course teaches students how to connect with older adults to forge intergenerational bonds and help alleviate loneliness and isolation
Jeremy Holloway owns a program called Tellegacy that supports student connections with older adults outside of the North and South Dakota area. He receives support through the Department of Geriatrics in the University of North Dakota to provide service and a course for students and older adults in North and South Dakota. Uncommon Courses is an occasional series from The Conversation U.S. highlighting unconventional approaches to teaching. Continued here |
Investments in green energy infrastructure: an (over)performance that will last?
The summer of 2022, which saw repeated heat waves, fires, and droughts in Europe and around the world, is confirmation that the effects of global warming are coming on stronger and faster than even the most pessimistic forecasts. To be able to hope to curb them, it is essential for us to change our current mode of energy production and consumption to a more responsible model. This paradigm shift will require major investments: the European Commission estimates that between 2021 and 2030, the EU’s energy sector will need a minimum of 175 to 290 billion euros per year for the development of green energies (solar, wind, etc.) and the necessary infrastructure. But from a strictly financial point of view, is the return for investors worth it? Do green energies, which represent the future, provide better financial performance, compared to fossil energies, which are doomed to disappear? Continued here |
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Smart buildings: What happens to our free will when tech makes choices for us?
Smart buildings, which are central to the concept of smart cities, are a new generation of buildings in which technological devices, such as sensors, are embedded in the structure of the buildings themselves. Smart buildings promise to personalize the experiences of their occupants by using real-time feedback mechanisms and forward-looking management of interactions between humans and the built environment. This personalization includes continuous monitoring of the activities of occupants and the use of sophisticated profiling models. While these issues spark concerns about privacy, this is a matter of not seeing the forest for the trees. The questions raised by the massive arrival of digital technologies in our living spaces go far beyond this. Continued here |
Is Gareth Southgate a successful manager? Two sports psychologists weigh in
Will they ever bring it home? Despite a general belief that England’s men’s football team performed well in the aftermath of their World Cup quarter final exit, inevitably questions are being asked about the team’s future hopes of success going forwards. Some have suggested that the blame for England’s loss lies at manager Gareth Southgate’s door and believe he should be sacked. Continued here |
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COVID hit companies hard. Why some kept their sustainability commitments, and others didn't
Kenneth Amaeshi has received grants from the Tony Elumelu Foundation and the Scottish Government. He's also the president of the Sustainability Professional Institute of Nigeria, an industry association, as well as the Chief Economic Adviser to the Imo State Government, Nigeria - a part-time and pro bono position. Covid-19 has had profound implications for the “role of business in society”. One of them is the pandemic’s effect on companies’ sustainability strategies. These are efforts to avoid companies’ harmful impacts on the environment and communities, and to enhance the positive impacts. Continued here |
Mental blocks: how better design of acute mental health units could aid recovery
It is a niche kind of membership that lets you in behind the doors of an acute mental health facility. Unless you work there or are admitted as an inpatient, these publicly funded private spaces that house people at their most vulnerable are really difficult to get into. Design matters. Fit-for-purpose psychiatric facility design promotes better mental health and wellbeing. This is a no-brainer for people who work and stay in these units. Continued here |
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Biodiversity: one way to help countries stick to their commitments to restore nature
Leader of the Human Rights and Environment Thematic Area at the Raoul Wallenberg Institute, Lund University When a hydropower dam in Argentina threatened to wipe out the hooded grebe, a bird found nowhere else on Earth, a local fishing community turned to the law for help. Continued here |
Spotify Wrapped: how sharing your music tastes can drive feelings of Fomo
With its eye-catching animations, it would be easy to dismiss Spotify Wrapped – which gives users a roundup of their most listened-to music of the last year – as just another example of the festive feed fodder that engulfs social media every Christmas. But there’s something more sinister in Spotify’s playful graphics – and I’m not just talking about the data tracking. The streaming service is utilising the fear of missing out, or “Fomo” (the uneasy feeling that our peers are doing something better or more interesting than us) to increase the time that users spend on the platform. Continued here |
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The Best and Worst Marketing Stunts of 2022 This past year was full of marketing stunts--some good and some not so great. Here are the most bizarre brand moments of 2023. Continued here |
Did He Jiankui 'Make People Better'? Documentary spurs a new look at the case of the first gene-edited babies
In the four years since an experiment by disgraced scientist He Jiankui resulted in the birth of the first babies with edited genes, numerous articles, books and international commissions have reflected on whether and how heritable genome editing – that is, modifying genes that will be passed on to the next generation – should proceed. They’ve reinforced an international consensus that it’s premature to proceed with heritable genome editing. Yet, concern remains that some individuals might buck that consensus and recklessly forge ahead – just as He Jiankui did. Some observers – myself included – have characterized He as a rogue. However, the new documentary “Make People Better,” directed by filmmaker Cody Sheehy, leans toward a different narrative. In its telling, He was a misguided centerpiece of a broader ecosystem that subtly and implicitly supported rapid advancement in gene editing and reproductive technologies. That same system threw He under the bus – and into prison – when it became evident that the global community strongly rejected his experiments. Continued here |
The Jobs Where Emotional Intelligence Is Vastly Overrated, Backed by Science (and a Groundbreaking Organizational Psychologist) Emotional intelligence matters--but, as research and Adam Grant reveals, not nearly as often as you might think. Continued here |
How an American magazine helped launch one of Britain's favorite Christmas carols
In 1906, a new carol appeared in “The English Hymnal,” an influential collection of British church music. With words by British poet Christina Rossetti, set to a tune by composer Gustav Holst, it became one of Britain’s most beloved Christmas songs. Now known as “In the Bleak Midwinter,” it was voted the “greatest carol of all time” in a 2008 BBC survey of choral experts. As a scholar of Rossetti, I’ve long been fascinated by the afterlife of her poems in music. The Christina Rossetti in Music project, a database of musical adaptations that incorporates my work, now lists 185 versions of “In the Bleak Midwinter.” Continued here |
Why winter solstice matters around the world: 4 essential reads
If you’ve already spend hours shoveling snow this year, you may be dismayed to realize that technically, it’s not yet winter. According to the astronomical definition, the season will officially begin in the Northern Hemisphere on Dec. 21, 2022: the shortest day of the year, known as the winter solstice. The weeks leading up to the solstice can feel long as days grow shorter and temperatures drop. But it’s also traditionally been a time of renewal and celebration – little wonder that so many cultures mark major holidays just around this time. Continued here |
Five ways you can help stop biodiversity loss in your area - and around the world
Biodiversity refers to the variety of life found on Earth and underpins the natural systems which grow our food, cleanse our air and water and regulate our climate. Human life cannot exist without it. But around one million animal and plant species are now threatened by extinction. At the recent UN biodiversity conference (COP15) in Montreal, parties agreed on a set of targets for reversing global biodiversity loss by 2030. This includes protecting 30% of the Earth’s surface and reforming subsidies for farming and fishing. Meeting these targets will require coordination between governments and businesses. Continued here |
'RRR' sequel will battle colonization again, director says
Telugu cinema broke into the American mainstream with RRR, a Tollywood historical action epic following two real-life Indian revolutionaries on a heavily fictionalized adventure. The film had everything: Animal brawls, dance numbers, and a weaponized motorcycle. But where can the story go from here? Director S. S. Rajamouli reveals there is a plan — and it involves many of the same keys to success RRR used. RRR followed Bheem and Raju, two friends wrestling with their loyalties, pasts, and futures as they fought the British Empire. Now, in a possible sequel, it looks like the duo is poised for a rematch. Continued here |
Cinderace stars in 'Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's next Tera Raid — what to know
The Pokémon Company continues its promise to bring even more special additions to Pokémon Scarlet and Violet with Cinderace, the fully evolved form of Galar region starter Scorbunny. As reported by Serebii, the game will feature a Fighting Tera Type Cinderace in a limited-time Tera Raid similar to Eevee and Charizard before it. Thankfully, if you’re too busy to catch it before the end of the year, it will have another run soon after the start of 2023. There’s no other way to capture Cinderace in Scarlet and Violet, so this is a must-watch event for trainers looking to complete their Pokédex. Here’s exactly when you can participate in the Cinderace Tera Raid event. Continued here |
Hyundai’s 2023 Kona pulls its new look from the futuristic Ioniq 5
The redesigned Kona takes after the futuristic Ioniq 5's design with a new front design that features a light bar. Hyundai’s futuristic front light bar is here to stay. Hyundai is redesigning one of its first fully electric vehicles, the Kona, with a lot of cues from its futuristic Ioniq 5. Hyundai scraps some of the curvy features with the redesigned Kona and adopts a flatter hood and a light bar that reminds us of the Ioniq SUV. Continued here |
Stephen Bear: why reality star's conviction sets such a powerful precedent for revenge porn victims everywhere
Reality TV star Stephen Bear has been found guilty of two counts of disclosing private sexual photographs and films with intent to cause distress, and one of voyeurism after profiting from intimate images of his former girlfriend without her consent. Bear’s conviction is a landmark moment in a climate where non-consensual sexual image sharing often goes unpunished. Bear’s victim, Georgia Harrison (also a reality TV star), has fought hard for this conviction. She discovered that footage of her and Bear was being shared with friends via WhatsApp, and was then posted to an account on the adult site Only Fans, where access to the video was being sold for profit. While the sex with Bear was consensual, the recording of it (via CCTV camera on his property) was not. Continued here |
Merry or scary? Santa's 'Ho ho ho' mirrors our own ambiguous
Here it is again: the merry, festive Christmas season with its glitter balls, tinsel and the typical “Ho Ho Ho!” Holding onto his red belly, Santa grins and laughs at us from everywhere. Like Halloween pumpkins and clowns, Santa is one of our most popular cultural symbols associated with laughter. In fact, Father Christmas, clowns and demonic veggie visages have more in common than you might think! And our pop culture depictions of Santa’s laughter tell us a lot about the pitfalls and promises of humour, and the not obvious links between humour and laughter. Santa’s laughter is often benign. In the 1970 fantasy musical Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, almost every one of the jolly gent’s good deeds is accompanied with laughter, be it distributing the toys to children in the unwelcoming Sombertown or melting the heart of the Winter Warlock. The laughter thus underscores the niceness of Santa’s activities and adds a cheerful element to the gloomy urban and forest landscapes. Santa’s laughter can also be used to improve the educational system on Mars in the 1964 film Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. Continued here |
Chickenpox and shingles virus lying dormant in your neurons can reactivate and increase your risk of stroke - new research identified a potential culprit
Over 90% of the world population has the virus that causes chickenpox lying dormant in their nervous system. Most people contract the varicella zoster virus, or VZV, when they get chickenpox as children. For around a third of these people, this same virus will reactivate years later and cause shingles, also called herpes zoster. While most people are familiar with the painful rash that VZV causes for shingles, a wide spectrum of other complications can also occur even without visible skin symptoms. Among the most severe is stroke, in particular ischemic stroke, which occurs when the blood supply to the brain is restricted by narrowing arteries or blocked by a clot. Continued here |
India's spiritual city that 'sings'
Squinting under the bright South Indian sun, I could see piles of boulders strewn haphazardly in the distance, while around me were intricately designed gateways, pillared pavilions and huge sculptures. I was in the city of Hampi, which is known for two main things: its unusual terrain of granite rocks in varying tones of grey, ochre and pink; and the ruins of centuries-old temples and palaces. Where I was, in the compound of the 15th-Century Vijaya Vithala Temple, the two collided. A Unesco World Heritage site, Hampi is often described as an open-air museum, filled with magnificent stone ruins on the banks of the River Tungabhadra. As the capital of the South Indian Hindu Vijayanagara kingdom from the 14th to 16th Centuries, the city was ruled by kings who lavishly spent on culture, religion and the arts. The Vijaya Vithala temple, which is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu, is an architectural masterpiece whose soaring columns and massive gateways are all hewn from the porphyritic granite found in the region. Continued here |
Who is at the manger? Nativity sets around the world show each culture's take on the Christmas story
For many Christians around the world, celebrating the Nativity, or the birth of Jesus Christ, is the most important part of the Christmas season. Among the most common Christmas traditions are small sets of figures depicting Joseph, Mary and Jesus that are displayed in individual homes, and live reenactments of the manger scene in communities and churches. While Nativity sets focus on the holy family, they can also include an angel, the three wise men bringing gifts, shepherds or some barnyard animals. Continued here |
New fossil foot analysis reveals the surprising and varied lifestyles of dinosaur bird ancestors
Have you ever eaten chicken feet? If you haven’t, you might be surprised to learn there’s actually quite a bit of flesh down there. And scales too! They’re wonderful – and informative – pieces of engineering. As someone whose speciality is working on fossilised dinosaur skin, I have more than a passing interest in bird feet and the scales of other reptiles (yes, birds are reptiles too). Continued here |
Work in review 2022: The five biggest lessons of the year
Even as many people moved closer to pre-pandemic living in 2022, daily life still doesn't look exactly like it did before. That's especially the case with work; this year, it became much clearer that many of us will never return to the workplace as we knew it. Although it’s true that we’ve learned more about what a pandemic-era workplace might look like, there's a lot we still don't know going forwards, particularly about working models and equality. Both employers and employees are still contending with a landscape that is anything but settled. And the power struggle over flexibility is still raging, even as the global economy takes a downturn. Continued here |
Wolverine's return in 'Deadpool 3' might happen because of 'Avengers: Endgame'
In an interview with SiriusXM, Hugh Jackman revealed a small but crucial detail about Deadpool 3, set for theaters on November 8, 2024. Not only could Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool steal the time travel device used by the Avengers in Avengers: Endgame, but Deadpool will snatch Jackman’s Wolverine from the past to give the X-Men’s resident berserker one more cinematic outing. Speaking to Radio Andy, Jackman gave Marvel fans a Christmas present in the form of a small plot reveal. Continued here |
Zimbabwe's stunning 80km safari train
We rattled out of Dete Station towards the north-eastern boundary of Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park, an eager dozen – nine tourists, two engineers and one safari guide – en route from Victoria Falls to the Ngamo Plains, an elephant-laden grassland where dwindling acacia forests meet the arid sprawl of the Kalahari sands. I squinted into the midday sun and sipped a gin and tonic, balancing on one foot and leaning out of the side of our purpose-built, private railcar, hoping for a better view of a vibrant bird perched atop a wire. A fellow passenger had his camera zoomed in all the way. We caught glimpses of electric blue, a longish beak, a large head, but the light made certain identification difficult. Continued here |
Inverse editor James Pero's 11 favorite tech products of 2022
As 2022 comes to a close, we want to share with you the devices, software, and services that have made the Inverse gear team's lives both professionally and personally better throughout the year. Nothing here is sponsored, though our parent company BDG will get a commission if you buy anything through the affiliate links. Mostly, this is just our team's personal favorite tech of the year — all in one place. I’ve never feigned to be anything other than superficial. That’s my disclaimer before you read (or don’t read) the words I’ve written here. And while superficiality runs deep with me, it pales in comparison to my compulsion to be excruciatingly critical of everything that dares to exist in front of my eyeballs — in this case, as a Senior Editor at Inverse’s Gear section, loads of consumer tech. Continued here |
How to get a Building 21 access card in 'Warzone 2.0' DMZ
Now that the mysterious Building 21 is live in Warzone 2.0 DMZ, you can start making your way through the challenging new area. But before you can begin your journey through Building 21, you need to acquire an access card, which is far easier said than done. These access cards have a chance of appearing in Al Mazrah from within the DMZ mode, with multiple ways to acquire them. But how exactly can you get your hands on a Building 21 access card and what’s the easiest method? Here’s what you need to know to begin the Building 21 quest in Warzone 2.0 DMZ. There are three main methods to acquiring a Building 21 access card within DMZ, though, keep in mind, none of them have a 100 percent chance of appearing. Continued here |
The Jan. 6 committee makes its case against Trump, his allies and their conspiracy to commit an insurrection: Five essential reads
Co-director, Washington Office, Carl Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy, Wayne State University From its first public hearing on June 9, 2022, the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capital has offered hours of riveting testimony detailing America’s first nonpeaceful transfer of presidential power. Continued here |
Proceed with caution: the trouble with trigger warnings
Trigger warnings are widely used in many universities – and increasingly, the wider world. Last year, London’s Globe theatre attached a trigger warning to Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, advising it “contains depictions of suicide, moments of violence, and references to drug use,” among other things. In the US, the widest survey to date found an estimated half of all college professors used trigger warnings before introducing difficult content. In the UK, a survey earlier this year found 86% of undergraduate students support the use of trigger warnings. Continued here |
For Australia to lead the way on green hydrogen, first we must find enough water
I was Deputy Director-General then Director-General, Water Victoria (1989-92); then Secretary, Department of Energy and Minerals, Victoria (1992-1995). Later I was Deputy Secretary then General Manager, Office of Water, Victoria. During that time I was a Victorian representative on the Murray Darling Basin Commission and then on the Basin Officials Committee (2004-2011). I was Director and MD of a consulting company owned by a law firm (now called Norton Rose Gledhill) from 1995-2003. During that time I was involved with various water and energy projects including the corporatisation of the Snowy Mountains Scheme. I am a shareholder in Xpansiv, a large renewable energy and water exchange, and was formerly a board member. I am a board member and shareholder in Flinders Peak Water, an organisation dedicated to using recycled water for food/agriculture. Through Deakin University I am connected to various water-related projects, including MDB and Drought Resilience programs, funded out of government grants. Australia is well-positioned to be a global leader in green hydrogen production. Green hydrogen is produced using a renewable power source such as solar or wind. As a substitute for fossil fuels, it will help to meet growing renewable energy needs. Continued here |
Three leadership qualities that Elon Musk's replacement as Twitter's CEO will need to have
In a strong response to a recent Twitter poll posted by Elon Musk, users of the platform have called for him to relinquish his position as CEO. Musk hasn’t confirmed he will step down since the poll ended, but any replacement will need to be able to steer Twitter back to calmer waters even with Musk staying on as majority owner. It’s been a tumultuous year for Twitter and Musk. He began building up shares in the company in January 2022 and his US$44 billion (£36 billion) bid to buy the platform was accepted in April. He then tried to pull out of the deal in July, before finally taking ownership in October. Since then he has made – and sometimes walked back – numerous changes to the popular social media platform. Continued here |
'Puss in Boots: The Last Wish' review: The radical reinvention Shrek needs has arrived
Shrek changed everything — but not necessarily for the better. The animation industry was already on the cusp of metamorphosis. Disney was in the throes of an identity crisis following the end of its ‘90s Renaissance. Pixar’s Toy Story broke new ground for the CG animated movie. But where Toy Story proved the power of CG animation, Shrek mined its potential to deliver a sharp fairytale satire that spoke in the post-ironic language early aughts audiences absolutely ate up. It only took a smug arched eyebrow and a glib, self-deprecating tone for earnest cinema to begin its slow and painful death. With each subsequent Shrek movie — of which there are four (!) including the first Puss in Boots — the series lost its luster, becoming just another clever, self-aware franchise in a sea of clever, self-aware animated movies that spent more money on their disinterested stars than their shabby animation made by underpaid CG artists. Continued here |
10 biggest space launches and missions of 2022
From crewed missions to satellite launches, 2022 was full of groundbreaking space missions that captured worldwide attention. Continued here |
'Avatar 2' secretly fixes the first movie's most unique problem
To avoid hearing three hours of Na’vi, James Cameron distilled a solution to a single line of dialogue. Whatever your feelings are with subtitles in movies, one thing’s for sure: Three hours of hearing space alien dialogue can feel like much. Continued here |
20 years ago, Martin Scorsese made his most underrated gangster movie — and his best action scene ever
Flawed but engrossing, this historical picture reveals Scorsese's fascination with the past. Few directors understand and appreciate cinematic history like Martin Scorsese, one of several reasons his word carries so much weight in movie circles. Making Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and Goodfellas gives you a hell of a lot of credibility, but Scorsese also understands who came before him well enough to have made multiple documentaries looking back through cinematic history. There’s 1995’s A Personal Journey With Martin Scorsese Through American Movies, and in 2001 Scorsese released Il Mio Viaggio in Italia, or My Voyage to Italy. Continued here |
HBO 'Last of Us' creator has a flawed reasoning for why the game is successful
It is a truth universally acknowledged that any film or television person adapting a video game must talk about the inferiority of video games as a medium. With this in mind, it is not entirely shocking that in an attempt to praise the quality of the source material for HBO’s Last of Us series, creator Craig Mazin reinforces the idea that games having artistic value is a surprise. In doing so, he ignores what makes video games special. What’s so special about The Last of Us? — “It’s an open-and-shut case: this is the greatest story that has ever been told in video games,” Mazin told Empire in a recent interview. First off, it is rarely a good idea to use grand sweeping statements if you can’t back it up. Saying that this conversation is open-and-shut is a massive claim. But is there support for what Mazin is saying? Continued here |
5 Books to Fire Up Your Imagination for 2023Â Close out the year with these fun and imaginative reads to set yourself up for a more creative 2023. Continued here |
'Black Panther' star Tenoch Huerta doesn't want to rule the world — he wants to change it
The scene-stealing Mexican actor who brought Namor to life talks about learning to swim, brutal workouts, and changing stereotypes. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Mexican actor secretly signed with Marvel Studios to play the role of Namor the Sub-Mariner. In Marvel’s comic book universe, Namor is the arrogant, ferocious ruler of the underwater kingdom Atlantis (think Aquaman with the brain of a Bond villain). He rises to the surface in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Ryan Coogler’s sequel to the world-shaking epic of 2018 that made box office history and crisscrossing arms an iconic pose. Continued here |
Elon Musk Keeps Breaking His Word. It Matters More than You Think
Broken promises hurt your credibility, even if you're one of the richest people on earth.Continued here
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